Electric heater.



F. 0. BULLIS.l

ELECTRIC HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2. 1914A Patented 11131228, 1916.

4ui.\uT1iD sTATEs PATENT oFEicii,

rEDERIQK o. BULLIS, or LOUISVILLE, KENTUQKY, essleiioii To temere setasCQMPANY, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, A CQROB'AUQN ,Q3-F KENTUCKY,- Y

ELECTRIC HEATER ,Specicatio 0f Letters. .Patent .Patented Mar. 2S,,191.6-

Application led September 2, 1914. Sera1-No..859,857.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, FREDERICK O. BULLis, a citizen of the United States,residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State ofKentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ElectricHeaters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric heaters.

One object of the invention isto Provide an electric heater particularlyadapted for popping corn and for roasting peanuts, coffee and the likeinA rotatable drums, cylinders and analogous devices.

Another object resides in the provision of an electric heater whoseinner heating surface is formed -preferably upon the arc of a circlecorresponding .to the curvature of a drum, cylinder or the like in whichthe corn may be popped or the peanuts or coffee roasted, the curvatureof the heating surface of the heater permitting the heater to lie closeto the drum or cylinder 4throughout its entire heating surface `toprovide for radiation of uniform heat throughout its heating surface.

A still further object is to provide a simple, inexpensive, durable andefficient electric heater which is particularlyadapted for the purposesstated and which may have swinging movement `beneath the drum orcylinder. Y

lith the above and other objects in view, the present invention consistsin the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularlypointed outin the appended claims, it being understood that changes maybe made in the proportions, size, materials and minor details withoutdeparting from the spirit or sacrificing any `of the advantages of theinvention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an electric vheaterconstructed in accordance with the present invention and which isillustrated as suspended beneath a cylinder, drum or other popping orroasting device disclosed in Dart in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal sectional view. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, thereference character A indicates a metallic or other frame which ispreferably, although not necessarily, rectangular in form, consisting ofside v walls 5 and 6 and end walls 7 and 8. The upper edges of 4the endwalls are .preferably formed upon the arc of a circle while thesidewalls preferably converge inwardly and along their llower edgeshavel .oppositely disposed slots 9 and outwardly directed lugs 10 attheir ends. i i Non-,conducting ribs r11 are disposed within the frameand are notched at their ends to form ears 12 and upper and lowershoulders 13 and 14, respectively.

The ribs 11 may be iitted or positioned in the frame A by insertionthrough the outer side of the frame so as to `posi-tion the .ears 1-2 inthe aforesaid slots 9 with the shoulders 13 against the inner ends ofthe said slots. The ribs maybe held against accidental cutward movementor displacement by suitable locking bars 15 and 16 which extend alongthe under or outer edges .of the side walls 5 `and 6 and overlap thelower or outer shoulders 14 of the ribs.V These locking bars aredetachably secured at their ends to the aforesaid lugs 10 by means ofscrew-bolts or other suitable -fastenings 1T.

A resistance coil or heating element 18 is supported by thenon-conducting ribs 11 in any suitable mall-Iier. One way in which theheating element may be supported by the ribs 1l s to provide the vribswith alining apertures 18 through which the heating elements may beinserted and interlaced with the ribs, as ,shown or in any othersuitlble manner.

The terminal ends 27 ,of the heating element 18 may be coupled at 26 inany suitable manner to the binding posts 25 mounted in suitableinsulating bushings 24E disposedin one end of the frame A and ina plate21, there being other insulating material 29 between the binding postsand the end 8 and the plate 2 1.

The plate 21 is formed with ,or secured to the llower end of an arm 20andthe plate 2l may be secured to the yend of the frame A by means ofsuitable rivets 21 or in any other suitable manner.

The arm 20 is designed for the purpose of suspending the heater under acylindrical or other popping-drum or roaster and to this end it has ajournal 22 by means of which it may be journaled or swingingly mountedon a shaft or other means 20. The

heater may be held stationary, if desired,

However, in one use of the heater at least' the same is adapted to swinginto and out of operative position with relation to a drum, and belocated beneath the same as shown in the accompanying drawings, whereinthe lower portion of a cylindrical or other drum is shown in dottedlines.

at 18a.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the inner face of theheater is curved transversely or formed upon the arc of a circleconforming to the curved surface of the cylinder or the like 18 and liesclose thereto to eiiiciently heat the same or the goods containedtherein.

By virtue of the curved inner surface of the heater it may e'lectuallyheat the entire surface of a cylinder lying adjacent thereto oruniformly heat the goods Within the cylinder Within the area oftheheater and it may lie at all times in the same relation to the annularWall of a drum or `cylinder Whether positioned to the right or to thelett of or under or over the axis of vthe drum or when being shiftedfrom one position to another With relation to the drum or cylinder. p,

To supply electrical fluid to the heater for heating purposes suitableconductors 28 may be connected to the binding posts 25 and lead from anysuitable source.

What is claimed is:

l. .ein electric heater comprising a rectangular shaped frame Whose endsare formed upon the arc of a circle and Whose side Walls converge andwhich are slotted along their outer edges, spaced non-conductingsupporting ribs having their ends notched to provide ears and shoulders,the ears adapted to litV in the slots of the side Walls of said frame,each ot said side Walls having outstanding lugs, locking bars detachablysecured to said lugs and adapted to engage the shoulders ot said ribs tolock the same against displacement, the ribs having apertures, and aheating coil supported in the apertures of said ribs, the inner edge ofthe ribs being formed on a curve corresponding to the curvature of theinner edges of the end Walls ot the frame, and binding posts connectedto the terminals ot said heating coil.

2. An electric heater comprising a rectanguiar shaped :trame Whose endshave their inner edges formed upon an arc ot a circle and Whose sideWalls converge inwardly and `which are slotted along their outer edges,spaced non-conducting ribs having their ends fitted in the slots of theside Walls and Whose inner edges are formed upon a curve correspondingto the curvature of the inner edges of the end walls, locking barssecured tothe frame to fasten the ribs Within the frame, a heating coilsupported Within the frame by said ribs, and binding posts supported inthe frame and connected to the terminals of the heating coil.

8. A n electric heater comprising a rectangular shaped traine havingopposite side walls slotted along their outer edges, spacednon-conducting ribs having their ends removably tted in the slots ofsaid walls, locking bars secured to the frame te detachably tasten theribs Within the frame, a heating coil supported by said ribs, andbinding posts secured to the iframe and connected to the terminals otthe heating coil.

4. An electric heater comprising a rectangular shaped frame Whose endshave their inner edges formed upon the arc of a circle and Whose sideWalls converge inwardly, spaced non-conducting ribs removably connectedto the side walls .and whose inner edges are formed upon a curvecorresponding to the curvature of the inner edges of the end Walls, aheating coil supported Within the trame by said ribs and binding postssupported in the 'frame and connected to the terminals of the heatingcoil.

5. An electric heater comprising a frame, spaced non-conducting ribsremovably mountcd within the frame, a heating element supported by saidribs, and means for removably securing the ribs in the frame, the innersurface of the heater being curved transversely throughout the length ofthe heater.

6. An electric heater comprising a frame having outstanding lugs, ribsremovably iitte'd Within the trame, a heating element supported by saidribs, and means connected to said lugs and engaging the ribs and theouter edges of the sides of the frame to secure the ribs removablyWithin the frame.

ln testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of tivo Witnesses.

THOMAS J. COMER, CHARLES L. STEPHENS.

Copies of this patent may be outaned for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

